Polyethylene

The thermoplastic (polyethylene, PE) was discovered as early as 1898, but has only been used commercially in large quantities in pipelines for gas and water supply, for cable insulation and packaging material since 1957. It is a saturated hydrocarbon. At around 30%, PE is the most widely produced plastic in the world. In addition to pure PE, there are also PE-LD, PE-LLD, PE-HD, PE-UHMW and PE-X in combination with other materials. PE becomes brittle when exposed to sunlight, but is not degraded by bacteria, animals or plants. It therefore contributes significantly to environmental pollution if not disposed of properly as "plastic waste".

In the wine industry, PE film is used as a sealing material for many alternative closures such as screw caps, crown corks and zork, as well as for capsules and bag-in-boxes. The polyester plastic PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is used in the production of bottles (PET bottles), films and textile fibres. From the 1990s, wines of a simpler cut were also bottled in PET bottles. Since the EU wine market regulation came into force in 2009, its use is now also permitted for quality wines. See other plastics under GRP, PET, PVC and PVDC.

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Polyethylene

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